Multilayer ceramic electronic component

ABSTRACT

A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body including first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked with dielectric layers interposed therebetween, and first and second external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body. The first and second external electrodes include, respectively, first and second base electrode layers and first and second plating layers. The first and second plating or base electrodes layers have at least one hole positioned in at least one corner of the ceramic body, and the hole includes a point of a respective edge of the ceramic body at which the respective edge meets a virtual line extending in a thickness direction and drawn through an end in a width direction of an exposed edge of one of the first and second internal electrodes exposed in a surface in which first or second internal electrodes contact first or second external electrodes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0105916 filed on Sep. 5, 2018 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a multilayer ceramic electronic component.

2. Description of Related Art

A multilayer ceramic electronic component has been widely used as an information technology (IT) component of a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, and the like, since it has a small size, implements high capacitance, and may be easily mounted. The multilayer ceramic electronic component has been widely used as an electrical component since it has high reliability and high durability characteristics.

An external electrode included in the multilayer ceramic electronic component is an electrode exposed externally of the multilayer ceramic electronic component, and thus has a significant influence on reliability and durability of the multilayer ceramic electronic component.

Recently, in accordance with miniaturization and functionality improvements of multilayer ceramic electronic components, a thickness of external electrodes has gradually decreased. However, as the thickness of external electrodes is decreased, reliability and durability of the external electrode may also be decreased.

SUMMARY

As a thickness of an external electrode is decreased, a plating layer and/or a base electrode layer included in the external electrode may have holes positioned at points corresponding to eight corners of a ceramic body.

An aspect of the present disclosure may provide a multilayer ceramic electronic component in which a thickness of the external electrode may be decreased and deterioration of water proof reliability and a mounting defective rate of the external electrode may be substantially suppressed, by optimizing sizes of the holes.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer ceramic electronic component may include a ceramic body including dielectric layers and first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked in a thickness direction and respectively exposed to first and second end surfaces opposing each other in a length direction of the ceramic body with each of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween. The multilayer ceramic electronic component may further include first and second external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body to be connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively, and disposed to cover at least a portion of eight corners of the ceramic body. The first and second external electrodes may include, respectively, first and second base electrode layers at least partially in contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic body and first and second plating layers disposed to cover the first and second base electrode layers, respectively. The first and second plating layers may have at least one hole therein positioned in at least one of the eight corners of the ceramic body. Each hole of the at least one hole does not extend to a point of a respective edge of the ceramic body at which the respective edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn through an end in a width direction of an exposed edge of one of the first and second internal electrodes exposed in the first and second end surfaces.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer ceramic electronic component may include a ceramic body including dielectric layers and first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked in a thickness direction and respectively exposed to first and second end surfaces opposing each other in a length direction of the ceramic body with each of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween. The multilayer ceramic electronic component may further include first and second external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body to be connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively, and disposed to cover at least a portion of eight corners of the ceramic body. The first and second external electrodes may include, respectively, first and second base electrode layers at least partially in contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic body and first and second plating layers disposed to cover the first and second base electrode layers, respectively. The first and second base electrode layers may have at least one hole therein positioned in at least one of the eight corners of the ceramic body. Each hole of the at least one hole does not extend to a point of a respective edge of the ceramic body at which the respective edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn through an end in a width direction of an exposed edge of one of the first and second internal electrodes exposed in the first and second end surfaces.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer ceramic electronic component may include a ceramic body including alternately stacked first and second internal electrodes with dielectric layers therebetween, and an external electrode disposed on an end surface of the ceramic body through which the first internal electrodes are exposed, and extending on four side surfaces of the ceramic body adjacent to the end surface. The external electrode may be disposed on four corners of the ceramic body, and may include a base electrode layer in contact with the end surface and the four side surfaces of the ceramic body, and a plating layer covering the base electrode layer. At least one of the base electrode layer and the plating layer may include a hole extending therethrough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of region S of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D are perspective views illustrating corners of the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment that is mounted on a board;

FIG. 6A shows images, captured by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), of a multilayer ceramic electronic component that has holes disposed at corners; and

FIG. 6B shows images, captured by an SEM, of a multilayer ceramic electronic component that does not have holes disposed at corners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Directions of a hexahedron will be defined in order to clearly describe exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure. L, W, and T illustrated in the drawings refer to a length direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction, respectively. Here, the thickness direction refers to a stacking direction in which dielectric layers are stacked.

A multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, particularly a multilayer ceramic capacitor, will hereinafter be described. However, the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of region S of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, a multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may include a ceramic body 110, and first and second external electrodes 131 and 132.

The ceramic body 110 may be formed of a hexahedron having end surfaces opposite each other in a length direction L, side surfaces opposite each other in a width direction W, and side surfaces opposite each other in a thickness direction T. The ceramic body 110 may be formed by stacking a plurality of dielectric layers 111 in the thickness direction T and then sintering the plurality of dielectric layers 111. A shape and a dimension of the ceramic body 110 and the number (one or more) of stacked dielectric layers 111 are not limited to those illustrated in the present exemplary embodiment.

The plurality of dielectric layers 111 disposed in the ceramic body 110 may be in a sintered state, and adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated with each other so that boundaries therebetween are not readily apparent without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

The ceramic body 110 may have a form in which eight corners of the hexahedron are round. Therefore, durability and reliability of the ceramic body 110 may be improved, and structural reliability of the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 at the corners may be improved.

The dielectric layers 111 may have a thickness arbitrarily changed in accordance with a capacitance design of the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100, and may include ceramic powders having a high dielectric constant, such as barium titanate (BaTiO₃)-based powders or strontium titanate (SrTiO₃)-based powders. However, a material of the dielectric layer 111 according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, various ceramic additives, organic solvents, plasticizers, binders, dispersants, and the like, may be added to the ceramic powders according to an object of the present disclosure.

An average particle size of the ceramic powders used to form the dielectric layer 111 is not particularly limited, and may be controlled in order to accomplish an object of the present disclosure. For example, the average particle size of the ceramic powders used to form the dielectric layer 111 may be controlled to be 400 nm or less. Therefore, the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure may be used as a component that can be miniaturized and have a high capacitance, such as an information technology (IT) component.

For example, the dielectric layers 111 may be formed by applying and then drying slurry including powders such as barium titanate (BaTiO₃) powders, or the like, to carrier films to prepare a plurality of ceramic sheets. The ceramic sheets may be formed by mixing ceramic powders, a binder, and a solvent with one another to prepare slurry and manufacturing the slurry in a sheet shape having a thickness of several micrometers by a doctor blade method, but are not limited thereto.

First and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include at least one first internal electrode 121 and at least one second internal electrode 122 having different polarities, and may be formed at predetermined thicknesses with each of the plurality of dielectric layers 111 stacked in the thickness direction T of the ceramic body 110 interposed therebetween.

The first internal electrodes 121 and the second internal electrodes 122 may be formed to be respectively exposed to one end surface and the other end surface of the ceramic body 110 in the length direction L of the ceramic body 110 in the stack direction of the dielectric layers 111 by printing a conductive paste including a conductive metal, and may be electrically insulated from each other by each of the dielectric layers 111 disposed therebetween. The first internal electrodes 121 and the second internal electrodes 122 may be alternately stacked with the dielectric layers 111 therebetween in the ceramic body 110.

That is, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be electrically connected to the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132, respectively, formed on opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body 110 in the length direction L of the ceramic body 110 through portions alternately exposed to the opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body 110 in the length direction of the ceramic body 110.

For example, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include metal powders having an average particle size of 0.1 to 0.2 μm, and may be formed of a conductive paste for an internal electrode including 40 to 50 wt % of conductive metal powders, but are not limited thereto.

The conductive paste for an internal electrode may be applied to the ceramic sheets by a printing method, or the like, to form internal electrode patterns. A method of printing the conductive paste may be a screen printing method, a gravure printing method, or the like, but is not limited thereto. Two hundred or three hundred ceramic sheets on which the internal electrode patterns are printed may be stacked, pressed, and sintered to manufacture the ceramic body 110.

Therefore, when voltages are applied to the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132, electric charges may be accumulated between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 facing each other. In this case, a capacitance of the multilayer ceramic capacitor 100 may be in proportion to an area of a region in which the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 overlap each other.

That is, when the area of the region in which the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 overlap each other is significantly increased, a capacitance may be significantly increased even in a capacitor having the same size.

Widths of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be determined depending on the purpose, and may be, for example, 0.4 μm or less. Therefore, the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure may be used as a component that can be miniaturized and have a high capacitance, such as an IT component.

Since the thickness of the dielectric layer 111 corresponds to an interval between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122, the smaller the thickness of the dielectric layer 111, the greater the capacitance of the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100.

Meanwhile, the conductive metal included in the conductive paste forming the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), or platinum (Pt), or alloys thereof. However, the conductive metal according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body 110 to be connected to the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122, respectively. The first external electrode 131 may be configured to electrically connect the first internal electrodes 121 and a board to each other, and the second external electrode 132 may be configured to electrically connect the second internal electrodes 122 and the board to each other.

The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may include, respectively, first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c for the purpose of at least a portion of structural reliability, easiness in mounting the multilayer ceramic electronic component on the board, durability against external impact, heat resistance, and an equivalent series resistance (ESR).

For example, the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may be formed by sputtering or electric deposition, but are not limited thereto.

For example, the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may mainly contain nickel, but are not limited thereto, and may also be implemented by copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), or lead (Pb), or alloys thereof.

The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may further include, respectively, first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a disposed between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, respectively, and at least partially in contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic body 110.

The first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be relatively easily coupled to the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122, respectively, as compared to the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, and may thus decrease contact resistances against the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122.

The first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be disposed in inner regions relative to the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c in the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132, respectively.

For example, the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be covered (e.g., fully covered) by the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c and first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b, respectively, so as not to be exposed externally of the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100.

For example, the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be formed by a method of dipping the ceramic body 110 in a paste including a metal component or a method of printing a conductive paste including a conductive metal on at least one surface of the ceramic body 110 in the thickness direction T, and may also be formed by a sheet transfer method or a pad transfer method.

For example, the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be formed of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), or lead (Pb), or alloys thereof.

The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may further include, respectively, the first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b disposed between the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a and the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, respectively.

Since the first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b have relatively high flexibility as compared to the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, the first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b may protect the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 from external physical impact or warpage impact of the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100, and may absorb stress applied to the external electrodes at the time of mounting the multilayer ceramic electronic component on the board or tensile stress to prevent a crack from being generated in the external electrodes.

For example, the first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b may have high flexibility and high conductivity by having a structure in which conductive particles such as copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), or lead (Pb), are contained in a glass or a resin having high conductivity, such as an epoxy resin.

The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may further include, respectively, first and second tin plating layers 131 d and 132 d disposed on outer surfaces of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, respectively. The first and second tin plating layers 131 d and 132 d may further improve at least a portion of the structural reliability, the easiness in mounting the multilayer ceramic electronic component on the board, the durability against the external impact, the heat resistance, and the ESR.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D are perspective views illustrating corners of the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D, the ceramic body 110 may include eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4.

In the ceramic body 110, a second point P2 refers to a point of an edge of the ceramic body 110 at which the edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn from width direction edges of exposed ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122.

In the ceramic body 110, a third point P3 refers to a point of the edge of the ceramic body 110 at which the edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn from a point spaced apart from the center of each of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 by ⅓ of a length of each of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the width direction.

In the ceramic body 110, a fourth point P4 refers to a point of the edge of the ceramic body 110 at which the edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn from a point spaced apart from the center of each of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 by ⅙ of the length of each of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the width direction.

In the ceramic body 110, a fifth point P5 refers to a point of the edge of the ceramic body 110 at which the edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn from the center of each of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the width direction.

The first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may be disposed to cover the eight corners of the ceramic body 110 including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4.

Each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may have a thickness deviation.

For example, each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may have the greatest thickness at the center of a [width×thickness] surface, and may have the smallest thickness at points thereof corresponding to the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4.

Therefore, when an average thickness of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c is gradually decreased, holes may be formed or occur at the points of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c corresponding to the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4. For example, a hole occurring at corner P1 in the first plating layer 131 c may expose the first conductive resin layer 131 b therethrough (see, e.g., FIG. 4B), may expose the first base electrode layer 131 a therethrough (see, e.g., FIG. 4D) for example in cases in which the hole overlaps with a hole in the first conductive resin layer (e.g., 131 b in FIG. 4B), and/or may expose the ceramic body (110) therethrough (see, e.g., FIG. 4C) for example in cases in which the hole overlaps with a hole in the first base electrode layer (see, e.g., 131 a in FIG. 4D).

The smaller the average thickness of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, the greater the likely size of each of the holes.

As the average thickness of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c become large, the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may improve reliability and warpage endurance of the multilayer ceramic electronic component against a cost of the multilayer ceramic electronic component.

The holes formed as the thickness of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c becomes small may serve as an external moisture permeation path to decrease moistureproof reliability of the multilayer ceramic electronic component and decrease mounting reliability of the multilayer ceramic electronic component.

Therefore, when the thickness of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 is optimized, the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c may not only secure the reliability and the warpage endurance of the multilayer ceramic electronic component against the cost of the multilayer ceramic electronic component, but may also secure the moistureproof reliability and the mounting reliability.

Table 1 represents mounting reliability and moistureproof reliability depending, on cover frequencies of one corner P1 of the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4 of the holes and the second to fifth points P2 to P5. The measurements reported in Table 1 include measurements completed for each of ten (10) cases (cases No. 1 to No. 10, each corresponding to a row of Table 1). Moreover, ten (10) samples (“Number of Measurements”=10) were measured for each of the cases (cases No. 1 to No. 10), and the table reports the number of samples having a hole at the specified location (P1-P5, each corresponding to a column of Table 1) from among the ten measured samples for each case. Table 1 further reports mounting defect frequency and moistureproof reliability defect frequency measurements completed for each of the ten (10) cases (cases No. 1 to No. 10), where the defect frequency was measured on four hundred (400) samples (“Number of Measurements”=400) for each of the cases (cases No. 1 to No. 10), and the table reports the number of samples having a defect of the type corresponding to the column of Table 1 from among the 400 measured samples for each case. Case 10 corresponds to a comparative example (*: comparative example) in which no holes were measured.

TABLE 1 Mounting Moisture Proof Detect Realiability No . P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Frequency Detect Freq. Number of 10 10 10 10 10 400 400 measurement 1 10 8 3 1 0 87 112 2 9 6 2 0 0 64 88 3 9 6 2 0 0 66 93 4 7 5 1 0 0 33 48 5 6 4 0 0 0 9 51 6 6 1 0 0 0 3 5 7 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  10* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Referring to Table 1, even though a hole is formed at one P1 of the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4, when the second to fifth points P2 to P5 are not covered, a mounting defect and a moistureproof reliability defect may be prevented.

That is, when each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c has a thickness controlled so that the hole positioned in at least one of the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4 has a size at which it does not cover or extend to the second to fifth points P2 to P5, the mounting defect and the moistureproof reliability defect may be prevented. Indeed, in cases in which the hole extends from corner P1 to include one or more of the second through fifth points P2-P5, the mounting defect and the moistureproof reliability defect may increase and provide components with low reliability.

For example, a thickness of each of the first and second external electrodes at the center of the [width×thickness] surface may be controlled to be 10 μm or less.

Therefore, in the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure, the reliability and the warpage endurance of the multilayer ceramic electronic component against the cost of the multilayer ceramic electronic component as well as the moistureproof reliability and the mounting reliability may be secured.

For example, a thickness of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c at the center of the [width×thickness] surface may be controlled to be 3 μm or more to 5 μm or less.

Therefore, in the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, the reliability and the warpage endurance of the multilayer ceramic electronic component against the cost of the multilayer ceramic electronic component as well as the moistureproof reliability and the mounting reliability may be secured.

The first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b may be exposed through the holes in the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c, respectively. Therefore, durability of the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment against external physical impact or warpage impact of the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 may not be substantially deteriorated.

Meanwhile, in the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, the moistureproof reliability and the mounting reliability as well as the reliability and the warpage endurance of the multilayer ceramic electronic component against the cost of the multilayer ceramic electronic component may be secured by optimizing a thickness of each of the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 instead of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c.

The reason is that each of the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may also have a thickness deviation due to fluidity and viscosity in a process of being formed, similar to the thickness deviation of each of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c.

That is, when each of the first and base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a has a thickness controlled so that the hole positioned in at least one of the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4 has a size at which it does not cover the second to fifth points P2 to P5, the mounting defect and the moistureproof reliability defect may be prevented.

Meanwhile, in the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of each of the first and second external electrodes may further be decreased and the moistureproof reliability and the mounting reliability may be secured by optimizing both of the thickness of the first and second plating layers 131 c and 132 c and the thickness of each of the first and second base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a.

That is, some of the eight corners including corners P1, P1-2, P1-3, and P1-4 of the ceramic body 110 may be exposed through holes of the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132.

Here, the first and second tin plating layers 131 d and 132 d may cover the holes through which the ceramic body 110 is exposed. Depending on a design, the first and second conductive resin layers 131 b and 132 b may cover the holes through which the ceramic body 110 is exposed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a form an assembly 200 in which the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment is mounted.

Referring to FIG. 5, the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may include first and second solders 230 connected, respectively, to the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 to be electrically connected to a board 210.

For example, the board 210 may include first and second electrode pads 221 and 222, and the first and second solders 230 may be disposed on the first and second electrode pads 221 and 222, respectively.

When corners of the ceramic body 110 are round, the first and second solders 230 may be filled in surplus spaces depending on the round corners of the ceramic body 110.

The first and second solders 230 may be more closely coupled to the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132, respectively, in a reflow process, and the multilayer ceramic electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may not only have the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 that are relatively thin, but may also have the mounting reliability, such that a disconnection of the first and second solders 230 in the reflow process may be prevented.

FIG. 6A shows images, captured by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), of a multilayer ceramic electronic component that has holes disposed at corners and extending through an external electrode. In contrast, FIG. 6B shows images, captured by an SEM, of a multilayer ceramic electronic component that does not have holes extending through all layers of an external electrode at corners thereof.

As set forth above, in the multilayer ceramic electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the external electrode may be decreased and deterioration of moistureproof reliability and a mounting defective rate of the external electrode may be substantially suppressed, by optimizing sizes of the holes of the plating layer and/or the base electrode layer.

While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations could be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a ceramic body including dielectric layers and pluralities of first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked in a thickness direction and respectively exposed to first and second end surfaces opposing each other in a length direction of the ceramic body with each of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween; and first and second external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body to be connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively, and disposed to cover at least a portion of eight corners of the ceramic body, wherein the first and second external electrodes include, respectively, first and second base electrode layers at least partially in contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic body and first and second plating layers disposed to cover the first and second base electrode layers, respectively, at least one of the first and second plating layers has at least one hole therein positioned in at least one of the eight corners of the ceramic body, each hole of the at least one hole does not extend to a point of a respective edge of the ceramic body at which the respective edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn through an end in a width direction of an exposed edge of one of the first or second internal electrodes exposed in the first or second end surfaces, each of the first and second internal electrodes extends in a plane extending in width and length directions, and a thickness of each of the first and second external electrodes in a respective center of a respective [width×thickness] surface is 10 μm or less, the first and second external electrodes further include, respectively, first and second conductive resin layers disposed between the first and second base electrode layers and the first and second plating layers, respectively, at least one of the first and second conductive resin layers is exposed through the at least one hole in the at least one of the first and second plating layers, the first and second external electrodes further include, respectively, first and second tin plating layers disposed on outer surfaces of the first and second plating layers, respectively, each of the first and second plating layers contains nickel, and at least one of the first and second tin plating layers covers the at least one hole in the at least one of the first and second plating layers.
 2. The multilayer ceramic electronic component of claim 1, wherein a thickness of each of the first and second plating layers at the respective center of the respective [width×thickness] surface is 3 μm or more to 5 μm or less.
 3. A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a ceramic body including dielectric layers and pluralities of first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked in a thickness direction and respectively exposed to first and second end surfaces opposing each other in a length direction of the ceramic body with each of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween; and first and second external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body to be connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively, and disposed to cover at least a portion of eight corners of the ceramic body, wherein the first and second external electrodes include, respectively, first and second base electrode layers at least partially in contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic body and first and second plating layers disposed to cover the first and second, base electrode layers, respectively, at least one of the first and second plating layers has at least one hole therein positioned in at least one of the eight corners of the ceramic body, each hole of the at least one hole does not extend to a point of a respective edge of the ceramic body at which the respective edge meets a virtual line extending in the thickness direction and drawn through an end in a width direction of an exposed edge of one of the first or second internal electrodes exposed in the first or second end surfaces, each of the first and second internal electrodes extends in a plane extending in width and length directions, and a thickness of each of the first and second external electrodes in a respective center of a respective [width×thickness] surface is 10 μm or less, at least one of the first and second base electrode layers has at least one hole positioned at one or more points of the at least one of the first and second base electrode layers overlapping with the at least one hole in the at least one of the first and second plating layers, the first and second external electrodes further include, respectively, first and second conductive resin layers disposed between the first and second base electrode layers and the first and second plating layers, respectively, and at least one of the first and second conductive resin layers has at least one hole positioned at one or more points of the at least one of the first and second conductive resin layers overlapping with the at least one hole in the at least one of the first and second plating layers.
 4. The multilayer ceramic electronic component of claim 3, wherein a thickness of each of the first and second plating layers at the respective center of the respective [width×thickness] surface is 3 μm or more to 5 μm or less.
 5. The multilayer ceramic electronic component of claim 4, wherein an average thickness of each dielectric layer disposed between a respective pair of adjacent first and second internal electrodes is 0.4 μm or less, and an average thickness of each of the first and second internal electrodes is 0.4 μm or less.
 6. The multilayer ceramic electronic component of claim 5, further comprising first and second solders connected to the first and second external electrodes, respectively, on a board. 